OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR

Governor Terry E. Branstad* Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, September 23, 2016

CONTACT: Governor’s Office 515-281-521

Gov. Branstad signs formal disaster proclamation for 13 counties affected by flooding in Iowa

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry E. Branstad today formally issued a proclamation of disaster emergency for 13 counties in response to recent flooding. The counties included in this proclamation include: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Chickasaw, Delaware, Floyd, Franklin, Linn and Wright.

The governor’s proclamation allows State resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe flooding. The proclamation also activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Program for residents of those 13 counties. Gov. Branstad’s proclamation also activates the Iowa National Guard to assist in the response to, the mitigation of, and the recovery from the effects of the disaster as needed.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Program provides grants of up to $5,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the current federal poverty level, or a maximum annual income of $40,320, for a family of three. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and for the expense of temporary housing. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Human Services website. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to submit a claim.

The State of Iowa has been assisting the impacted communities in their response to the flooding and to help prepare for the anticipated flooding in the days ahead.

The Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has coordinated the delivery of state resources to the impacted communities.

Resources that have been provided include:

• More than 120,000 sandbags (4 dump truck loads of sand)
• Deployed or staged 22 water pumps
• Placed or staged 48 pallets of flood barriers, equal to 4,320 linear feet
• Placed 50 traffic barricades
• Provided assistance to local law enforcement
• Deployed (4) Incident Management Team personnel to assist with response operations in Linn County
• Deployed 400 Flood Clean-up Kits

Over the next few days, the State will be working with local officials in the Cedar River basin to assist with planning and provide them with resources as they prepare for the potential flooding.

You can read the proclamation language here:

WHEREAS, on September 21, 2016, and continuing thereafter, severe storm systems affected the state of Iowa; and

WHEREAS, these storm systems caused severe weather, including heavy rains, flooding and tornadoes resulting in significant damage to public and private property, power outages resulting from downed power lines and poles and large debris piles; and

WHEREAS, the following thirteen (13) Iowa counties suffered significant damage from this event: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Chickasaw, Delaware, Floyd, Franklin, Linn and Wright; and

WHEREAS, reports forwarded to the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department by the emergency management coordinators and others in the affected counties indicate that local resources and capabilities have been exhausted and that state assistance and resources are needed to respond to and recover from the effects of this event; and

WHEREAS, reports forwarded to the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department by the emergency management coordinators and other officials in the affected counties indicate that state individual assistance pursuant to Iowa Code §29C.20A and 441 Iowa Admin. Code 58.2 (1) is needed to assist certain individuals and families adversely affected by the disaster who otherwise cannot be helped by other means of financial assistance and for whom federal assistance under the Stafford Act is either not available or does not adequately meet the needs of the citizens in the disaster area; and

WHEREAS, the nature and complexity of the response needed to effectively deal with this disaster require the resources and personnel of the Iowa National Guard to assist in the response to, the mitigation of, and the recovery from the effects of the disaster; and

WHEREAS, these conditions threaten the public peace, health, and safety of citizens of the State of Iowa and have damaged and destroyed public and private property. Because of this, they provide legal justification for the issuance of a Proclamation of a State of Disaster Emergency pursuant to Iowa Code § 29C.6 (1).

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TERRY E. BRANSTAD, Governor of the State of Iowa, by the power and authority vested in me by the Iowa Constitution Art. IV, §§ 1, 8 and Iowa Code §29C.6 (1), and all other applicable laws, do hereby proclaim a State of Disaster Emergency for the following thirteen (13) Iowa counties: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Chickasaw, Delaware, Floyd, Franklin, Linn and Wright and do hereby ORDER and DIRECT the following:

SECTION One. As required by Iowa Code § 29C.6 (1), (10) and 42 U.S.C. § 5170 in cases of Presidential Disaster Declarations, this Proclamation of Disaster Emergency activates the disaster response and recovery aspects of the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department’s Iowa Emergency Response Plan and those additional response plans applicable to the counties affected by this disaster and authorizes the use and deployment of all available state resources, supplies, equipment, and materials as are reasonably necessary to assist those citizens located in the disaster counties.

SECTION Two. I temporarily suspend the regulatory provisions of Iowa Code Chapter 8A, 11 Iowa Admin. Code Chapters 117 and 118, and 641 Iowa Admin. Code Chapter 176, requiring the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Iowa Department of Transportation, the Iowa Department of Public Safety, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and other state agencies involved in the response to this disaster emergency to procure goods and services through a competitive selection process. Suspension of these provisions is limited to the duration of this proclamation and is further limited to procurements which are necessary to respond to this disaster emergency. Iowa Code § 29C.6 (6).

SECTION Three. I authorize the Iowa Department of Human Services under the terms and conditions as allowed by Iowa law to render individual disaster assistance to eligible residents of the following thirteen (13) Iowa counties who are affected by this disaster: Allamakee, Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan, Butler, Cedar, Chickasaw, Delaware, Floyd, Franklin, Linn and Wright. Iowa Code §29C.20A and 441 Iowa Admin. Code 58.2 (1).

SECTION Four. I authorize and empower the Iowa Adjutant General to order to state active duty such members of the Iowa National Guard as are necessary to provide aid to those counties where a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency has been proclaimed and to authorize the deployment of any supporting vehicles, aircraft, equipment, communications, or supplies as may be necessary to support the members ordered to active duty. Iowa Code §§ 29A.7 (1), 29A.8 (1) (c).

SECTION Five. This state of disaster emergency shall be effective on September 23, 2016, shall continue for thirty (30) days, and shall expire on October 23, 2016, unless sooner terminated or extended in writing by me. Iowa Code §29C.6 (1).